The present invention relates generally to verifiable (e.g., legal for trade) devices and particularly to systems and methods for verification of verifiable devices by an appropriate regulatory agency. More specifically, the present invention is directed to systems and methods by which verifiable devices may be verified for use by an appropriate regulatory agency, without the need for in-person inspection by an officer or agent thereof.
A verifiable device can be generally described as a device that must be approved by an authorized entity before it can be used in a commercial setting. One skilled in the art would understand that a variety of devices may meet this definition. For example, a legal for trade device is a commonly known verifiable device that is intended for use in a commercial transaction where an amount of money will be paid based on a measured characteristic of a product, parcel, etc. A weighing apparatus used to weigh a product that is sold by weight is a common example of such a legal for trade device.
Generally, a verifiable device such as a legal for trade weighing apparatus must be certified or otherwise approved by an official or approved agent of an appropriate regulatory agency before being placed into service. This helps to ensure that the amount of money paid accurately reflects the measured characteristic of the product, parcel, etc. involved in the associated transaction. Examples of such transactions may include but are not limited to, payment for parcel postage through the U.S. Postal Service or another carrier, the price paid for a food product, the price paid for an amount of a liquid product such as gasoline or propane, the amount of taxes collected on goods transported via truck, etc.
Currently, when a verifiable device such as a legal for trade weighing apparatus is purchased, arrangements must be made for an official or approved agent of an appropriate regulatory agency to visit the location of the verifiable device and to test, certify and, optionally, seal the verifiable device. The official or agent physically travels to the location of the verifiable device to perform this service. The official or agent performs one or more tests of the verifiable device to verify that it is performing correctly. If the verifiable device passes the test(s) then the official or agent may mechanically or electronically seal the verifiable device and record information about the verifiable device for subsequent tracking purposes. Once the verifiable device is certified and, optionally, sealed, it is ready to use. The owner is generally required to pay for this service.
As described above, the official or agent may perform one or more inspections, tests and/or operations of/on the verifiable device to verify that it is functioning properly and that its performance is unaltered. These inspections/tests/operations may include, but are not limited to, verifying that the verifiable device is marked correctly (serial number, model number, etc.), verifying that the verifiable device is placed on a steady surface, verifying that the display of the verifiable device functions properly, verifying that the verifiable device is level, entering of a geo code associated with the location of the verifiable device, calibrating the verifiable device and/or performing measurement accuracy testing. Any or all of these inspections, tests and/or operations, as well as others, may be performed.
Once the tests are successfully performed and proper device operation has been certified, the official may electronically and/or physically seal the verifiable device. Typically, once a verifiable device has been initially sealed, an official or approved agent of the appropriate agency should return to the location of the verifiable device on a periodic basis (monthly, quarterly, annually, etc.) to verify that the seal is unbroken. At this time, the official or approved agent may re-perform any or all of the above-described inspections, tests and/or operations.
This process is both time consuming and expensive for the owner of the verifiable device and typically requires government resources to complete. Unfortunately, such government resources may be limited. Additionally, verifiable device owners may be unaware that they are legally required to have their verifiable devices certified. Another concern with this certification method is that regulatory agency records sometimes become lost, whether due to the exchange of data and data entry that occurs with the regulatory agency or otherwise.
As a result of the aforementioned issues, many of the verifiable device inspections and/or tests that are mandated as recurring may not be performed again due to a lack of records, and/or a lack of officials or approved agents available to perform the large number of certification/re-certification procedures awaiting them around the U.S. and the world. This is problematic because verifiable devices may resultingly produce inaccurate measurements for an extended length of time without the knowledge of the appropriate regulatory agency. This may cause incorrect transactions, such as a loss of money for the legal for trade device owner, or the overcharging of customers.